Newly married couple hugging outside Plas Dinam

Plas Dinam Wedding Photography

Plas Dinam is tucked away in the gorgeous Mid-Wales countryside and it’s honestly one of my favorite places to photograph a wedding. This venue has everything you could want: a stunning mansion, sprawling gardens, gorgeous countryside views, luxurious accommodation, as well as glamping for those who want a little extra adventure.

One of the best things about Plas Dinam is that it’s all yours for the whole weekend. No doubt, your wedding day will go by in a flash, so having a day either side of your wedding to soak up every moment with your guests is priceless.

The house is both grand and cozy, and with the rustic charm of the stables, it’s perfect for a fun, relaxed celebration. It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning a big traditional wedding or something more laid-back, Plas Dinam has got you covered. For the outdoor lovers, there are so many lovely spots to say ‘I do’ – including a magical little woodland hideaway. However, if the weather isn’t ideal, then the high ceilings and big windows are perfect for indoor celebrations, and this is what Hannah & Martin opted for.

couple laughing and having fun on the swing at Plas Dinam

A Music Filled Weekend Wedding at Plas Dinam

Hannah & Martin planned the most spectacular weekend wedding at Plas Dinam. The whole weekend was filled with live music. The night before their wedding, Max Baxter sang while everyone drank and chatted in the sunshine. The next day, Keynotes Choir kicked off the live music during the ceremony with a quick “singing workshop”. And they kept the vibe going until the happy couple walked into the stables for their speeches. Next up, was the surprise entrance from roaming brass band – Bass 12!

Hannah & Martin wanted an intimate first dance. So we headed up to the house where the lead singer from Eddie & The Murphys performed a stripped back acoustic version of one of their favourite songs. Then we headed back to the stables, where he joined the rest of the band and got the party started!

Let’s find out a little more about how they planned their Plas Dinam wedding…

Hannah & Martin’s Plas Dinam Wedding

Can you tell everyone a little about yourself?
We met six years ago through Bumble and quickly realised we had quite a few mutual friends from our time working in the same city. Hannah is a lawyer, and Martin runs a small business but really our passion is getting out in the countryside with our cocker spaniel, Toby, for a long walk, preferably followed up by a pub lunch.
What about the proposal?
After 4 years, a house, a dog and a (tiny) bit of encouragement from Hannah, we got engaged in the Canadian Rockies.

It was day 1 of the trip, following a few disagreements in the week running up to it about whether we really needed bear spray for the first walk (Hannah said we did, not knowing there was a timetable for the day – she obviously won the argument and we didn’t see a single bear the entire trip!)

The spot was perfect and Martin thought ahead and packed a beer for him and a prosecco for Hannah to enjoy overlooking the lake. We followed up by a sunset dinner at the top of a Mountain. Not a day we’re likely to forget!

Planning a Plas Dinam Wedding

What were you most looking forward to about your wedding?
Being in the countryside with our favourite people. We loved that we could use Plas Dinam as a blank canvas and really make it our own. We wanted the wedding weekend to feel like one big weekend away with all the things we’d love to do when we go away.
If you were to describe your wedding in two or three words, what would they be?
Fun – Loud – Heartfelt
Where did you find inspiration when planning your wedding?
We really thought about all the things that we love and would make the wedding personal to us.

First of all, we wanted a countryside location with a venue where we could be at peace with the world and spend time with our guests.

Music was really important to us, so we built the celebrations around the kinds of things we wanted to incorporate. Basically, we tried to plan a massive party in the country!
Did you do anything to make your wedding unique to you or your story as a couple?
We focused on the music, as that’s really important to us. So we had our favourite local cover artist the night before and on the big day, we had a choir, brass band and normal band too.
Did you enjoy the planning process? Did you learn anything along the way?
Sometimes we did… Because its something you’ve never done before, planning a wedding can be really daunting. But we tried to set some ‘values’ to live by when planning, one of which was to make it fun! So when we did that, remembered what we loved, and that ultimately, it was about the two of us getting married – that made the process enjoyable.

I think we learned that picking suppliers who share your vision and are willing to work with you on how you want your day to be is so important. It really makes a difference having that great team around you on the weekend.

And while this is about the photography, we also discovered a videographer really was a must! We booked Chris early on, and left the videographer to a last minute decision, but we’re so glad we had both in the end, as they both gave us different things in terms of the lasting memories of the day, which we love!
Is there anything you would have done differently?
We wanted an outside ceremony and didn’t get it but we are so happy we didn’t in the end. The atmosphere created by being inside felt really special. We had a part in the ceremony where everyone sang with the choir. We absolutely loved that and it was a highlight of the day to see guests on their feet by half 1 in the afternoon!

Where did you get ready?
Hannah got ready across three rooms upstairs with her Mum and Bridesmaids. Martin got ready with his Groomsmen, his dad and Hannah’s dad in the Billiards room downstairs.
How did you feel when you saw each other for the first time?
It was really emotional seeing each other for the first time that day – Martin had to tell Hannah to breathe at the end of the aisle – I think the photo says it all!
Was there any part of the day you were particularly nervous about?
In the run up, we definitely worried about everything going to plan and running to time, as we’d packed a lot in to the day. But in the end, it was all fine, and we didn’t spend time on the day worrying about that.
Did you or Martin plan any surprises for each other? If so, tell us all about it!
Martin got me a photobook looking back over our time together, which I opened on the morning of the wedding.

I got him a bottle of Whisky to open with his groomsmen in the morning. He loves a Scottish whisky and had always said he wanted a nice bottle for the wedding day, so I got one from a distillery near a place we’ve been to in the Trossachs a couple of times.
Did you break any wedding “traditions” or go against the norm? If so, what did (or didn’t) you do and why?
Martin went up to Plas Dinam’s outdoor pools for a dip in the morning, which was a different way to start his wedding day.

We had a singing workshop while we signed the register and then all sang the song together, which we haven’t seen before. Having been to a few weddings now, we knew the time when the couple went out to sign the register can be a bit awkward with guests not sure if they should chat, so we thought we’d provide them with something to do!

We also had a private first dance away from the guests, where the frontman of our band did an acoustic version of one of our favourite country songs. Neither of us is the best dancer, so it felt awkward to have a traditional first dance, but we love music, so wanted that special moment with one of our favourite songs. This was the perfect way to do that and to steal a few moments to ourselves.
What was your favourite part of your day?
We should say getting married… How happy we felt all day really was the highlight though!

We loved our impromptu dance to ‘I wanna dance with somebody’ with the choir at the afternoon drinks reception.

It’s so special seeing all of your favourite people there, so happy, and celebrating with you. There’s no feeling like it.

Recommended Wedding Suppliers at Plas Dinam

How did you choose your wedding venue?
We looked online for a countryside venue that we’d be able to have for a longer period, and there weren’t many out there!

Plas Dinam was the only one we visited and booked we booked it quickly after that!
What advice would you give to couples looking for a wedding venue?
Make a list of your priorities before you start looking, as all venues offer something different. Do some online research first and reach out to a few to get their brochure to give you more of a feel for it.
If you only go to one and love it, don’t feel like you should be looking at more if that feels like the right one. We knew it was when Hannah was worried the couple looking round after us might book one of the dates we were thinking of!
What was your biggest worry or concern when choosing a photographer?
We wanted someone that we knew we’d enjoy being around for the full day, as you do spend a lot of time with your photographer – in Martin’s words, someone he could have a pint with!
When we met Chris though, we didn’t have any concerns. He was ace!
What advice would you give to couples who are looking for a photographer?
Book Chris Morse.
Would you like to give a shout out to anyone in particular?
Matt Baxter, who was the musician for our night before welcome event. We knew him from the bar scene in Leeds so we knew what we were getting but for £400 for the night, you can’t get anyone better. He is stronger musically than a lot of self proclaimed ‘wedding bands’ and its just him and a loop pedal.

All Suppliers:

And finally… Any words of wedding planning wisdom?
Make it as fun as you can!

Congratulations & Thank You!

I’d like to say a massive congratulations to Hannah & Martin as well as a huge thank you for choosing me to photograph their wedding and sharing your story with us. There are lots more real life weddings on my blog so feel free to stay a while…

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A Weekend Wedding At Plas Dinam